Gautam Gambhir, the esteemed head coach of the Indian cricket team, recently shared his definitive checklist for young, aspiring cricketers hoping to don the national jersey. His insights move beyond the conventional metrics of runs and wickets, emphasizing a deeper understanding of what it takes to thrive at the highest level.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrating India’s Test series victory against West Indies.
Addressing reporters, Gambhir outlined his primary considerations during player selection: “First and foremost, you look at talent. Then you look at the work ethic. You look at the characters in that dressing room, especially in red-ball cricket.” He further elaborated, “You look at what they bring to the table apart from the number of runs and wickets they have. I think how hungry they are matters a lot. And if you’ve got all those attributes, you will definitely have a successful Test career.”
Gambhir’s tenure has already seen the Indian team embrace a transitional phase across all formats. He highlighted the inherent “insecure environment” of international cricket, which fuels his belief in providing players with a sustained run in the team.
“For me, giving them a longer run is very, very important because, as we all know, international cricket is a very insecure environment — only 15 players can represent the country, and there are so many waiting for their opportunity,” Gambhir explained. “So make sure you first pick the right characters, and then, if you see that, try to give them a longer run so they feel content and happy that they’ve had enough chances, rather than just chopping and changing.”
The former cricketer also expressed his personal aversion to the term “dropping” players, admitting that he feels a profound sense of emotion when a deserving individual misses out on a spot in the national squad. “Sometimes it’s difficult as a head coach and a team management member because you will have to leave out players. I don’t like using the word ‘dropping’ players because you don’t drop players — you only select players,” he stated. “When a player is left out, the least a coach can do is be empathetic, not ruthless.”